Mark of the Serpent
by ChurchoftheGoddess
Summary: Cerasi is Harry Potter's daughter. Her parents are dead, and all she has left of them are their shadows, to stand under in her own pointless existance. Then an unreal stranger appears in her dreams, and he helps her find the meaning of her destiny
1. Prologue

**Summary**: **Because she is Harry Potter's only daughter, Cerasi is forever burdened by her father's legacy and mother's death. And just when she feels as though her life could not be any more pointless, a mysterious and intriguing stranger appears that may be able to help her learn more about her empty past and her own amazing destiny. **

_Disclaimer_:_ I would like to thank Mrs. JK Rowling for writing the Harry Potter series, (even though they are children's books and fools like me waste their time writing PG-13 fanfictions about them…) I hereby declare that character's and plot in this story belong to her and Warner Brothers. Please don't sue. _

A/N: Please review me if you read this fic and tell me if you like it. Flames accepted as long as they aren't rude. Because I am a loser and have no life to speak of, I have put real effort into writing this and would appreciate it if you don't stomp on every idea I have in this story. After all, it's only a fanfiction…

Now, since my plot might be kind of confusing at first, I'm going to write a character list, which you don't have to read if you don't want to, it will just make the story more understandable. Anyway, you can always come back to it if you don't want to read it right away. So here goes.

_Harry Potter_

Harry Potter seemingly vanished from existence after his last confrontation with Voldemort, in which the latter was defeated for good. He is believed in the wizarding world to be dead, but his fame lives on. He is still known as the Boy Who Lived, and is viewed by most as the savior who delivered the world from deathly destruction. Certain events, however, may bring up the question of whether he is really gone…

_Hermione Granger _

A person little known by most of the wizarding world, she accompanied Harry Potter in his search for the four remaining Horcruxes, and stayed by his side until the end. Following his supposed death, she vanished from the country a few weeks later, leaving behind nothing but a note promising her remaining friends that she would return to England one day.

She did not appear again for another decade, but when she did, she was an inch from death (and died a few days later) and had with her a ten-year-old girl named Cerasi, the illegitimate daughter of Harry Potter himself.

_Ron Weasley _

He moved to the Middle East shortly after Harry Potter's death and his ex-girlfriend Hermione's disappearance. His only wish was to get away from everything. He quickly lost contact with his family and soon became involved in Pakistan's Ministry of Magic. He has returned to England in an attempt to build a relationship with his newly discovered Goddaughter, though this may be a harder task than he expected.

_Professor Mcgonagall _

She quickly replaced Dumbledore as Headmaster after his death and took to the job reluctantly. Now, fourteen years later, she has had to modernize Hogwarts School Policies after centuries of the same regime. She keeps a watchful eye on Cerasi, who now attends Hogwarts as a fourth former, and is often exasperated by her idealist attitude and rebellious behavior. Though she may appear to be very open, she has many secrets, and is sensitive about certain events in her past life.

_Cerasi Potter_

The main character of the story, she reveals very little about her past life with her mother Hermione. (Even she doesn't understand everything that happened) The only obvious thing is that the two of them lived in the United States, where Hermione served as a sort of ambassador under the US's Wizarding Federation and it's current President, Aravis, Dumbledore's niece.

Cerasi often covers up her feelings on sensitive matters with rudeness or sarcasm, and is viewed by most of her classmates as a silent, cold person. She trusts few people and often shows little affection for anyone. However, deep down, she's really good at heart and has a fair sense of justice.

_Joelle Marigold _

A new student at Hogwarts, Cerasi met her in her second year from the Foreign Exchange Program. She is half French Canadian, half Australian, and Cerasi was forced to be her caretaker as punishment for putting a _For Sale_ sign on the Hogwarts school grounds. Over time, she and Joelle became friends, and Cerasi is rarely seen out of company with her and the other Foreign Exchangee, Marco Dietman.

Joelle is a hopeless romantic, and though she sometimes can be naive, she has an artistic emotional personality that sometimes takes others by surprise.

_Marco Dietman _

Cerasi often calls him Deitman the Queer because of his homosexuality. He is Cerasi's reluctant but close friend, and was her hated enemy until she saved him from the school stream's Kelpie.

Deitman is Galacian, meaning he comes from a poor, northwestern corner in Spain where the Irish have intermixed with the Spaniards. This also explains why he speaks Spanish, but wears a leather kilt and has a fondness for wine.

_Jenny Phinwick _

The daughter of Hermione's irritating cousin Katherine, she is nonetheless Cerasi's only family. She is more like Cerasi's sister than anything else, and the two are close. Though she is a muggle, she owns an owl that she often uses to send letters to Cerasi, mostly to relay episodes with her boyfriend Luigi Desanto. (Who, in Cerasi's opinion, closely resembles a doped up gorilla) She attends a Muggle school called Stalag 14 and often spends a lot of her time playing Star Wars video games, despite her appearance, which is often perceived as odd because of her affiliation with unusual colors of eyeliner.

_Stephanie Beachwood _

Cerasi's other distant cousin, and another sister-like friend, though no one really knows how she and the latter are really related. She is a witch, but lives with Jenny and Mrs. Granger. Therefore, she is no stranger to muggle life. She often hangs around with Cerasi at school, and is usually emotionless to a point of being inhuman with a bothersome phobia for germs. She hates Canadian quarters and has a fondness for classic rock. Part of the reason why she is attempting to learn to play the bass guitar, however unsuccessfully.

_Sirius Lupin_

The son of Remus and Tonks and a handsome metamorphmagus, he was on the Griffindor Quidditch team until he decided that flying a broomstick messed up his hair too much. Instead he often helps Stephanie with her bass guitar lessons (he himself plays the twelve-string guitar) and goes on 'Cat Patrol' with Oliver Weasley. He is Cerasi's friend and teases her often, though he would never admit it's because he has a thing for her.

_Ginny Weasley _

She currently lives at Hogwarts, where she serves as the school Transfiguration teacher and Professor Mcgonnagal's Deputy Headmistress. Every chance she gets, however, she goes to her home, number four Privet Dr., to see Dudley her (believe it or not) husband.

The two of them have a daughter named Sophie, who attends Baeuxbatons instead of Hogwarts, so as not to have her relationship with her mother interfere with school.

_Dudley Dursley _

He is married to Ginny and has inherited his father's drill company Grunnings. He doesn't do or say much these days, except to Ginny, whom he adores. Most believe this is a great improvement in his character. He is surprisingly well mannered to Cerasi, his second cousin. And to his daughter Sophie, he often also says little, but merely shows his affection by spending a lot of money on her.

_Adele and Oliver Weasley _

Two fraternal twins, their parents are Bill Weasley and Fluer Delacour. They are both in the same house as Cerasi and so it is unavoidable that she spends time with them. Oliver Weasley is a boy and on the Quidditch team with Cerasi. He loves girls and wizard sports, and thinks of little else.

Adele is a gorgeous red head who looks like her mother. Though she can be air headed and shallow, she is also an intelligent journalist for the Hogwarts Newspaper, _Frog Warts._

_Aravis Dumbledore _

The daughter of Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother, and the President of the Wizard Federation, America's Magical Government. She is beloved by all in her country and seems to take after her uncle in oddness and sharp intelligence, and is well known throughout the entire Wizarding World. Because of her work in Astrology with Cerasi's mother and the discovery of elemental uses in magic, she is hailed as one of the most revolutionary witches of her age. Cerasi remembers her from her days in America, and though she doesn't know it, she may find that Aravis watches over her as closely as Professor Mcgonnagal.

_Percy Weasley _

His reluctance to reconnect with his family is still clear to this day, and he often acts superior to them on many occasions. He is famous for many things, including the fact that he is the youngest wizard to ever become Minister of Magic, and he is married to Penelope Clearwater, though they have been unable to have children so far.

_Petunia Dursley _

She is more open to magic and wizards than she used to be, though this may be because she has gone slightly senile. She quickly fascinates Cerasi because she is the only person she has ever met who hates her father.

_Hagrid _

He mourns the death of Dumbledore and Madam Maxine. He cares about Cerasi deeply and often scolds her, saying that she should not be so passionate and learn to stop getting into trouble. He sometimes gets drunk and tells her that she and Grawp are the only reason he stays alive. In which case she usually has to stay with him the rest of the night and allow him to sleep it off.

_Draco Malfoy _

He is the current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts and well suited for the position. Many stay away from him because of his past affiliations with the Dark Side. He enjoys taunting Cerasi, and does so often, but it's really because he's very fond of her.

_Cerridwen _

One of Voldemort's extremely mysterious past followers who had been a sort of second in command to his power. Because of her short reign and quick disappearance, many fear she is still alive. Cerasi secretly wishes to take revenge on her for killing Madam Maxine and Stephanie and Jenny's parents.

_Aunt Marge _

She hates Cerasi and delights in tormenting her, which, for the most part, doesn't bother the latter in the slightest. After all, Cerasi doesn't see her very often. She is rather stupid about her niece-in-law's family, and, rather than realize their wizardry, explains away their oddness by saying that they're Irish and probably drunk.

_Mrs. Granger _

Cerasi's grandmother serves as her Guardian and is very quiet, and not as lively as Professor Mcgonnagal insists she once was. She lives with Jenny full time and also watches Stephanie, as both of them are orphans like Cerasi. Many things about Mrs. Granger are mysterious to the three of them, and they wish to find out about what happened after her husband died.

_Mrs. Weasey _

She resents Cerasi for many reasons and sometimes can be very minimizing to her. Cerasi isn't very quick to realize why, and merely thinks she, like Petunia, has turned senile after losing her husband.

_Sophie Dursley _

Ginny and Dudley's daughter, she is often the butt of Cerasi's practical jokes because she, like Mrs. Weasley, is minimizing and often shows off, as she takes after her father in extravagance and her mother in female superiority. She Attends Baeuxbotans Academy, prompting her to tease Cerasi about learning in 'a garbage dump.' She enjoys calling Cerasi names in French that no one but the two of them can understand; usually ensuing into violent catfights and wizard duels between the two with a lot of shrieking and French swear words.

_Grawp_

Hagrid's half brother has become reasonably civilized, and Cerasi often accompanies Hagrid to visit him in the forbidden forest.

_Prince Xach _

An alluring and mysterious being that appears at first in Cerasi's dreams, and then changes her life from the moment their eyes truly meet.

A/N: Well that turned out to be a longer character list than I thought it would be. My bad. There are more characters, but some won't be introduced till later and others aren't really important to the story.

PROLOGUE

_Malfoy had believed this day would never come. The day he saw Hermione Granger again. When she had vanished he'd believed she would be gone for good. Though he had not been sure whether he was pleased or sad about this._

_Oh, she had promised the Weasley's she would come back, of course… But really, if Granger was a lot of things, she certainly wasn't stupid. Putting aside certain circumstances that alone could grant the whole rotten family grounds for taking revenge on her, Malfoy had heard four years ago that she was somewhere near Los Angeles. He personally couldn't see why she would want to leave a place like that to come back and touch unpleasant bases with those grubby losers. _

_But what can you expect from mudbloods? Certainly nothing sensible. _

_Naturally, when Malfoy had heard, some ten years after Potter had banished Voldemort, that Granger was on her deathbed at St. Mungo's in London and had expressed her wish to speak with him one last time to the Weasley's, he had been unsure of what to feel. He decided to go and see her right away, and was somehow calmly unsurprised by her request. _

_So maybe Malfoy felt as though he had a connection to her. After all, ten years ago, she had saved his life. And as for what she had done for Snape… Malfoy had never been able to understand. It was unfathomable to him. After that, he never saw her again, but found himself thinking of her all the time, and hating Potter more than ever for taking yet another thing away from him. _

_He dawdled on the way to St. Mungo's, unable to figure out what to do or what to say. It only took him imagining her life dwindling away to get moving. _

_When he had arrived, the healers took him to the room on the highest floor that was hidden from the rest of the hospital. Inside he saw Granger slumped on a hospital bed, sitting on top of the covers with her entire body sagging. Malfoy stepped up next to the bed and looked her up and down, seeing how much older she looked. She had died her hair very dark brown, and she looked almost royal, as she was wearing expensive looking gray and white robes that indicated her importance as a person. However, she looked pale and sickly, her whole face colorless and waxy, looking almost as though she was a walking corpse, often convulsing or twitching with some sort of terrible pain. _

_She looked up and almost smiled at him. 'You're starting to look like your father Malfoy,' she said in a weak voice. Malfoy's insides were churning with sickness. This wasn't the Hermione Granger he remembered. This wasn't the jumpy, overenthusiatic, hyperactive, smart-mouthed girl he used to hate. _

_Malfoy attempted to keep his voice steady as he said, 'What's happened to you, Granger? Who did this?' _

_Hermione didn't answer for a moment, she sat slumped over, twitching, and then said, 'It's a long story Malfoy… I don't have a lot of time left… I… I haven't told anyone what's happened, in fact, I'm only going to tell you, and… I want you to pass the information along to the order, the Weasley's too…I'm afraid. If you want to ask me a question, do it now, so you… don't interrupt me.' _

_Malfoy felt the first question he had been dying to have answered pour out of his mouth. 'There are rumors going around about a little girl you had with you, they're saying she's at Potter's muggle relative's house. Ridiculous things they're saying. They actually think, and you'll never believe this, they're saying that she's you're DAUGHTER! And Potter's the father! Ha!' _

_Malfoy waited for her to laugh, to say how ridiculous this was. But she didn't, she merely looked at him, almost irritably. _

_'No,' Malfoy whispered. 'It… I can't… it can't be…' _

_Hermione didn't reply. _

_What's her name?' he asked hoarsely. _

_'Cerasi' _

_Malfoy's mouth was dry, he blinked and continued. 'They say you were a foreign ambassador for the American Wizard Federation. They say you helped Aravis Dumledore in revolutionary discoveries in astrology and invention, and that you've been living in LA… also true?' _

_Hermione nodded weakly. 'Actually, it was Oakland, but I haven't been there as of late…I… I've spent the last two years in New York City…'_

_Malfoy nodded and said, 'How much time do you have left?' _

_Hermione looked terrible. 'No more than a day…' _

_'What… what kind of magic is this?' Malfoy asked. 'What could possibly have done this to you?' _

_'They call it the black curse…' _

_'Black curse?' _

_Hermione laughed. 'I remember when I thought the killing curse, Avada Kedavra, was the worse curse there was. Avada Kedavra is nothing. It's quick, and painless. This… this…' _

_She seemed to sag a little more and Malfoy caught her by the shoulders. He pushed her down so she was lying on the bed and said, 'But who? Who put the curse on you?' _

_'Death's hand,' Hermione said weakly. 'They're a major terrorist organization in the United States, bent on a revolution of the dark arts. Nobody knows where they came from, but… they seem to have unnatural power. Like… like something from another world. _

_'I found out through stealth that they were planning to assassinate Aravis. I had to stop them, so I headed them off. It took everything I had to defeat the assassination party. I only managed to get them to flee because I had called the reinforcements…Warlock Elite Squad. But they laughed as they fled, and somehow I knew I had to go back to the loft. Cerasi was there and she was alone. By the time I got back, there were Dementors and one of them had their hands around her face. I fought them off with a Patronus, but there was another death's hand member there. He was a high ranker and in the end he tried to cast the black curse on Cerasi… I couldn't… I knocked her down, out of the way; the curse hit me instead. She was only half-conscious at the time, because of the Dementors. The Death's hand member died instantly. The Black Curse is powerful, so a wizard can't cast it without killing himself. _

_I took Cerasi, and I apparrated us both across the Atlantic, it was terribly dangerous. I don't know how I made it to the train station without splinching us both._

_'I got to the burrow with Cerasi, and I don't know what happened after that… I blacked out, I was in such terrible agony… and I woke up here…'_

_Malfoy clenched his fists. 'I won't rest,' he said furiously. 'Until every member of Death's Hand is put to death.' _

_Hermione shook her head. 'You won't see them for another few years, they're going into hiding after this. The whole country will be looking for them. People will forget about them…'_

_'You'll be a national hero in the United States after this,' Malfoy said. 'Everyone will love you, probably as much as Aravis… But you'll have vanished… I have to let them know where you are… I expect they'll give you…' _

_Malfoy's voice died, as he was about to say "a beautiful burial." _

_'Malfoy…' Hermione said dazedly. 'I want you to help Professor Mcgonnagal look after Cerasi… I want her to stay here in England, where her mother grew up… I… I've left her everything I have in my will. Everything. Have the Weasley's arrange everything… getting everything over here to England, I mean. And… don't forget to open a Gringotts vault in her name…' Her eyelids slid down a little.. _

_'I won't forget,' Malfoy said solemnly. _

_Hermione dazedly pulled a plain, but heavy gold locket out of her pocket. 'And Malfoy… give her this… and tell her I love her.'_


	2. Ron Returns

**Disclaimer: Characters and symbols of this story are property of JK Rowling, the very loser who created Harry Potter. For this I am grateful to her. **

CHAPTER ONE: Ron Returns

Ron Weasley had not been to Hogwarts in years, and returning was like greeting an old friend from his childhood that had remained in the corners of his memory.

As he stood on the grounds between the lake and the forbidden forest, staring at the dark silhouette of the castle in the winter dusk, he attempted to keep every part of him that wanted to think about the last time he had been here shoved away from his thoughts. Instead he started up the grounds to the front doors, sweeping his cloak further around himself to block out the cold. A light frost coated the grass, and Ron could see the sinking sun on the reflection of the half-frozen lake.

As he slipped through the great oak front doors, he thought about what he was about to do. Part of him felt excited… it wasn't every day you got to meet your Goddaughter for the first time. But he was also… nervous.

Had he mentioned that?

Yes, he was nervous. He wasn't sure why. He felt old and responsible, though he honestly didn't know why he was worrying. It wasn't as though he was Spanish. It probably wouldn't be that big of a deal, being a Godfather. In fact, it would probably be easy.

'It'll be simple,' Ron told Professor Mcgonnagal a few minutes later. He was in the headmaster's office, or rather, it was now a headmistress office. It had changed only a very little over the past ten years. There was still a huge oak desk. Now much neater than it had been back in Dumbledore's day, but instead of Fawkes the phoenix sitting on his old perch, there was an enormous Golden Eagle with beady eyes. He was wearing metallic gray spiked collar with a gilded ID tag in the shape of a snitch. There were no silver instruments, but the Penseive was now in plain sight on top of a white and silver cabinet. The sorting was perched on top of a wardrobe overlooking the office, surrounded by the many sleeping portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistress's. Sitting in a case with frosted glass shelves was the old ruby encrusted sword Ron remembered so well, right underneath a golden Time turner that he recognized as the one Hermione had used in her third year, and when she and Harry had gone off together. It was sitting on a purple cushion next to a blue and gray skeleton key diary Ron didn't recognize, and on a shelf underneath that was a silver bladed dagger with a gleaming black hilt in the shape of an angel. From where Ron sat in one of two armchairs in front of Mcgonagall's desk, he could see her Order of Merlin First Class mounted on her desk next to her nameplate.

'I'll just win the kid over with one of my charming grins. We'll be buddies in no time. I'll take her out for tea and the rest is history.' Ron continued.

'Well, you're in for a rude awakening Weasley.' the Professor said dryly.

Ron narrowed his eyes. 'What are you saying?'

'I'm afraid it's not that simple with teenagers.'

'It…isn't?'

'Weasley, you can't expect this to be easy. You were the one who wanted to come and see the child…'

Ron spread his hands, palms up. 'I can't ignore her… she's Harry's daughter.' He hesitated and then said; 'Does she know I'm here, that I'm coming?'

'I'm afraid not, Weasley, I--' The knocker on the outside of the door pounded. 'Enter,' Mcgonnagal said quickly.

The huge door flew open and a girl in black Griffindor uniform robes rushed in. She had dirty blonde hair that was wrapped up in a tight French braid. It beat wildly against her freckled neck as she ranted on in an emotional state, gesturing manicly with her arms. She was gibbling so fast it took a moment for Ron to realize she was speaking French.

'Bloody hell!' he cried. 'She's bilingual!'

The girl turned to Ron and cocked her head at him, her pale eyes shining with concern. She shook her head, speaking in slowly in French as though she expected him to understand.

'I'd prefer it if you spoke in English love,' Ron said, marveling at how kind and caring he sounded. 'It's the only language I know, you see.'

The girl simply stared.

'She can't speak English yet.'

Ron turned around saw another girl in the doorway. She was relatively small for her age, and pale, with a rounded nose sprinkled with freckles. Her thick, dark brown hair was long and pulled back in a butterfly clip. Her eyes were emerald green, and her ears were double pierced. Ron could tell she was in Ravenclaw, because the linings of her robes were blue, but he somehow felt as though he'd met her before.

He smiled. 'Are you a friend of hers then?'

She nodded. 'More or less. Mcgonnagal put me in charge of her.'

'Ah…' Ron said, confused. 'Well, I've never met her before, and I… well, my name is Ron Weasley and… I'm her godfather. Could you translate that to her for me?'

The Ravenclaw girl said a sentence or two of French to the blonde girl, whose eyes widened as she quickly shook her head and gibbled a reply.

'She says she already knows her godparents,' the Ravenclaw told him. 'She would also like to inform you that she always travels in groups.'

Ron scratched his head, utterly bemused. 'What did you say her name was?'

'Her name's Joelle.'

'Joelle? You mean her name isn't Cerasi Potter?'

The Ravenclaw raised her eyebrows. 'Her? No, she isn't Cerasi. I am.'

Ron gaped at the girl. He looked her up and down, astonished. 'You…you are aren't you? You're… Cerasi Potter. My best mate's daughter.'

When Cerasi offered no reply, he continued, 'You're in Ravenclaw? I wonder what your dad would say… Blimey, if you didn't look just like your mother, I… I wouldn't believe you…'

Cerasi still said nothing, just looked at Professor Mcgonnagal and her friend, as though she expected one of them to leap out at her and yell, "April fools!"

'You have an accent,' he continued.

Cerasi returned her gaze to him. 'Well, I grew up in the United States. I came up here when mom died.'

'You look like your mum. Almost exactly like her,' Ron told her dazedly.

'You mentioned that.' The girl named Cerasi said dryly.

'Don't just stand there in the doorway, you silly girl!' Mcgonnagal said irritably. 'Come in here and speak to him!'

Cerasi scowled and shoved her hands in her pockets. She descended on the Professor's desk with her shoulders slumped. As she sat in one of the chairs beside Ron, her friend Joelle leaned forward and muttered something in French in her ear. Cerasi turned to Ron and said, 'Not that I care about this, but Joelle just told me that she thinks it's awful that you're my godfather and this is the first time you've met me. She says it's a bit late to be playing dad, considering I just turned fourteen.'

Ron frowned. 'I thought she couldn't speak English yet?'

Cerasi's nose turned red. 'Umm, well she—she, uh, she understands it, but… she, uh, can't speak it.'

Ron nodded, 'Well, English or no, she has a point. It is late to be playing dad. I'm not your dad. I never will be. But I just found out about you a year ago. I never knew… never knew about…about how my best friends…'

'Got busy?' Cerasi offered casually.

Ron's ears turned bright red. 'Potter, what have I told you about saying inappropriate things?' Professor Mcgonnagal exploded furiously.

Joelle turned around and said something to the professor in French. 'What was that Marigold?' Mcgonnagal growled, as though daring her to say something else.

'I said, it's none of your business!' Joelle said in perfect English. Seconds after she said it her eyes became as wide as eight balls and she clapped her hand over her mouth. 'Oops,' she squeaked.

'_Joelle!' _Cerasi groaned.

'_And what has happened to your charming accent Marigold?_' Mcgonnagal said sharply.

Cerasi and Joelle looked at each other guiltily.

The professor rounded furiously on Cerasi. 'I should have known! I should have known not to put you in charge of Joelle you stupid girl!'

Cerasi scowled at her. The professor ranted on, 'What on earth was I thinking? Now you have undoubtedly polluted this child's mind with your idiotic schemes and your immature japes!'

Cerasi threw up her hands in exasperation. 'I put a "For Sale" sign on the school grounds _one time--_'

'SILENCE!' Mcgonnagal yelled, and both girls jumped. 'It has become clear to me, Miss Potter, that forcing you to participate in the Hogwarts Foreign Exchange Program _and _making you get involved in Hogwarts Musical Department activities has stillnot occupied enough of your time. From now on, you will be the new Chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.'

'What? How? Ravenclaw already has three perfectly pathetic Chasers!'

'Not anymore,' the professor said triumphantly. 'Toot has been forced to quit due to an unfortunate incident involving a doughnut and his peer Thompson. The Ravencaw team needs a new chaser and I think you will fit in with them very nicely. Or else!'Cerasi's eye was twitching unpleasantly.Ron's enthusiasm, however, had returned. 'Excellent!' he said happily. 'I'll come to all of your matches! It'll be brilliant!'

Cerasi looked as though she was about to say something rude to him when Mcgonnagal said, 'Your parents would be so _ashamed…_'

The latter didn't look at all phased by this, she merely gave the Professor a bored look. Ron wanted to talk to her some more, but Mcgonnagal made the two of them leave after that, shouting punishments after them as Cerasi discretely flipped her the bird before shutting the office door.

'And don't think I didn't see that Potter!' Mcgonnagal yelled.

'Since when does Hogwarts have a foreign exchange program?' Ron asked her quickly. He thought it might be beneficial to Cerasi if he kept Professor Mcgonnagal distracted for a bit.

'About four or five years ago, the school board discovered that Hogwarts' conduct of sticking to traditional ways was making our educational quality suffer, especially in comparison to newer schools. Many school ministries from other nations went so far as to say our conduct is—was—biased. You may have noticed we changed the uniforms…'

'I noticed,' Ron said, 'Cerasi and Joelle were wearing uniforms, but it looked like they were designed by Cindy Crawford. Zip up jackets, silk blouses, flow skirts…'

'Yes,' said the Professor through clenched teeth. 'And you may have noticed that the boys are wearing leather pants. Courtesy of Cerasi's ridiculous friend Marco Deitman…'

'What do you mean?' Ron asked.

Mcgonnagal frowned grumpily, 'That little fool you call a goddaughter formed an anonymous petition in the school newspaper. A petition saying that… forcing girls to wear ties is sexist and an insult to female ingenuity or some such rubbish. Unfortunately, so may students signed the bloody thing I was forced to use some of the Quidditch funds to change the entire attire. And of course, the school planning committee, that's what we call prefects and heads these days, chose the new attire… all due to Cerasi's further meddling… she convinced the school board… I believe she put eye contact solution in her eyes to make it look as though she was crying when she did this… that "It was only democratic and civilized that the elected members and representatives of the student body should make the informed decisions on the new dress code." Obviously the little thief learned her manipulative skills from her mother.'

'I'll say… Blimey, why didn't I think of that when I was in school? Cerasi is… a genius practically.' Ron said, amazed. 'What else have you done to this old place?'

'Well, as I've said we've added a foreign exchange program. About twenty five or thirty new students from other countries come in here every year. The program Cerasi is in helps the students adapt to this school, culture, language, and sometimes offers them English lessons. We have also improved our teachings of the wizard arts. You know, music and painting and so on. We have a wider array of classes available to students, such as Dueling, Astrology, and Magical Sports to name a few. We have created a school newspaper called _Frog Warts._ We have built a Quadpot stadium. And we have Quadpot teams for all of the houses.'

'Quadpot?' Ron asked disgustedly.

'The sport is foolish but it does have its merits'

There was a moment of silence in which Ron gazed at Godric Griffindor's ruby encrusted sword again. He said slowly, 'Cerasi is beautiful… If only Harry could see her.'

'Now is not the time to dwell on what is done, Weasley.' The Professor told him. But even as she said it, she looked sad, and very old.


	3. Serpent Dreams

A/N: Well, I hope you liked the first chapter. If you haven't reviewed me, do so pleeeaaase.

CHAPTER TWO: Serpent Dreams

After Cerasi and Joelle left Mcgonnagal's office, the two of them changed their clothes in their common rooms, and then reunited by the great oak front doors to relax outside, where it was almost dark.

They traversed the grounds together in an unsuccessful search for Hagrid, and then came to rest next to the lake amongst some maple trees that had not shed their leaves yet. Joelle sat down against a big hulking tree, and Cerasi began to skip rocks on the slushy water.

'Sorry I slipped up Cerasi,' Joelle said earnestly 'In front of Mcgonnagal I mean…'

Cerasi waved her hand in a dismissive way. 'Don't worry about it. She was bound to find out eventually. No sense whining about spilled milk.'

'Yeah, but… you'll have to be on the Quidditch team from now on. You hate sports.'

'I know, I know, but there's nothing I can really do about it,' Cerasi answered, and then she scowled. 'Don't know how I'll have time for anything now. I've gotta watch your back, and Dietman's too. Then there's homework, and composition twice a week. Now I'll have Quidditch practice to drag myself to.'

Joelle rolled her eyes. 'Homework? Cerasi, you don't even do your homework.'

Cerasi sniffed. 'Sometimes I do.'

'Right.' Joelle answered. 'But anyway, what about that guy? Did you know you had a godfather named Ron?'

Cerasi shrugged. 'Well, I remember my mom mentioning a guy named Ron Weasley a few times. He was a friend of hers, I think. She said… she dated him once. But she also said that dating him was the result of a childish teenage conquest and her emotional immaturity. I guess it didn't work out in the end.'

'It would certainly seem so,' Joelle said, and then added cautiously, 'you know… I've known you for two and a half years, and that's the first time I've ever heard you talk about her.'

'Who?'

'Your mom.'

There was a flicker of surprise on Cerasi's face. But she quickly hid it as she skipped another rock. Joelle asked rather bravely, 'Do you ever miss your mom?'

Cerasi turned to look at her. 'Yeah,' she said, 'sometimes.'

Sensing that the conversation had reached a point of security, Joelle decided to inquire further. 'What was she like?'

Cerasi went over to Joelle and sat down next to her. She leaned her head against the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes. 'She was smart. And brave. Nothing like me.'

'What about your dad?'

'I never knew him. They say he died when he killed the dark lord. That was before I was born. I don't really know much about him, except that he saved the world. My mom never talked about him much.'

'Why?'

'How should I know?' Cerasi looked out at the lake, and then looked back at Joelle. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace.

'I've never shown this to anyone before,' she said.

Joelle took the necklace from her and examined it. It was actually a fancy old-fashioned golden locket of some kind. It was huge and elaborate, but rather plain, set on a heavy chain. 'It's so pretty. Where did you get it?'

'I don't really remember. I think it was my old man's. He and this old prune named Albus Dumbledore dug it out of an underground zombie cave or something. They thought it was a horcrux. It wasn't, it got switched or something. Too bad for Dumbledore. Someone killed him after they found it.'

'Albus Dumbledore,' Joelle said, amazed. 'I have a wizard's card of him. Does it open?'

Cerasi shrugged. 'I tried to open it once, but it's a real piece of junk. No one can get it open. I don't know why I even keep.' She pulled a leather brown pouch out of her pocket that was emblazoned with bronze runes. It contained what looked like big cigarettes, only they were black and gray instead of brown and white. Also, when Cerasi lit one and puffed on it, the ashes at the end turned blue instead of red.

'You smoke?' Joelle gasped.

Cerasi grinned at the shocked look on her face. 'Don't worry, these aren't anything like muggle lights. They're called blugars. They aren't harmful to your health, but they are addictive, And expensive. And it really bites when you get withdra—rrgghhh'

She quickly chucked her blugar in the lake. Joelle looked around and saw Ron coming towards them across the ground.

'Was that what I thought it was Cerasi?' he asked her with a frown when he reached the base of the tree. 'Aren't you a bit young to be smoking?'

'Smoking what?' Cerasi asked with a blank look on her face.

'There was a young Slytherin bloke looking for you… Bit of an odd fellow. Told me my shoes didn't match my cloak… Why would he say that, I wonder?' Ron honestly had a confused look on his face as he said this.

'Deitman,' Joelle said. 'I hope Smith wasn't bothering him again. You know how sensitive he gets when people confront him about his… you know…. I hope he didn't get in a fight.'

'I wouldn't worry,' Cerasi told her. 'If Deitman got in a fight, Mcgonnagal would have me hanging from the North Tower by now.'

'She was the same way when I was in school,' Ron said heartily. 'Your dad and I were always in trouble with her.'

Cerasi merely looked at him as she lit another blugar. Ron knelt down in a profound sort of way, and rested his hand on the top of Cerasi's head. 'I hope you've washed that,' she said lazily. 'My hair oils very easily.'

Ron got a teary look in his eye, and Cerasi looked at Joelle, mortified. 'Listen…' He mumbled, and Cerasi realized immediately that she was about to be subjected to a gruelingly touching speech.

'I know you don't know me, but I feel like I know you… Every time I look in your eyes, I see…her, and him. I look up at that blasted castle and I wonder why I'm here again without your mum and dad beside me. But I look at you and I realize they are. Do you see?'

Cerasi merely blinked up at him, and then looked impatiently at her watch.

Ron rambled on dramatically. 'And… I only found out about you a year ago… you couldn't possibly imagine what that was like. But I want to be a part of your life. If you'll let me…'

Cerasi carelessly flicked a blue ash from her cigarette away from her. It landed on Ron's nose. 'Are you done?' she asked irritably.

Ron seemed flustered. He stood dumbstruck for a moment, considering his options, and then decided to turn his attention to Joelle. "So what did you say your name was again?" he asked casually.

'Joelle'

'How 'bout your last name?'

'It'sMarigold. Joelle Marigold. I won't get into my middle name. Too embarrassing.'

'Where are you from?'

'I'm a half blood. My dad is a wizard and my mom is a muggle,' Joelle explained. 'And I'm half French Canadian, half Australian. My mum is a college secretary from Montreal, and my dad is an Australian Wizard who plays Keeper for the Thundelarra Thunderers. My twin brother Mick goes to a private school in Canada called McDonald Hall.'

'Blimey,' Ron said. 'Complicated background you've got… explains why you speak French too. How about you Cerasi? How do you know French?'

Cerasi had been paying little attention to the conversation. 'Learned it from mom,' she said shortly. Joelle suspected she disliked the fact that the topic of her parents, one she particularly disliked conversing about, had been brought up as frequently throughout the day as though they were discussing an up and coming Quidditch match.

'How did Her—your mum, know French?'

'She knew a lot of languages. She had to. Now if you'll excuse me, Joelle and I have to go. We have to find our friend Marco Dietman and make sure he isn't dead.' She turned her back to Ron, motioned to Joelle, brushed her hair out of her eyes, and the two of them began trudging through the old trees, up the hill toward Hogwarts.

'Oy! Wait a sec!' Ron yelled. He rushed to catch up to them, panting. 'Wait a minute! Cerasi! I need to ask you…Why don't… you and me have lunch at Hagrid's this Sunday? Just you and me and Hagrid? And I'll make sure he doesn't provide us with food. That would just be suicide, as I'm sure you know.'

'Fine,' Cerasi said 'Whatever.'

'Excellent!' Ron said happily, not noticing the half exasperation, half-secret fury in Cerasi's voice. 'Now you best be off. I don't want Mcgonnagal accusing me of keeping you out late. In fact, I had better escort—

Cerasi made an alarming growling noise and Ron said quickly, 'Right, never mind.'

Ron decided to crash at Hagrid's that night, as he was too tired to apparate and had had a long trip. He needed the rest.

Hagrid had not changed much over the past fifteen or so years. He had trimmed his graying, black bushy hair and beard very short, so that all of his hair was like inch thick, curly wires poking out of his face and head. As if this wasn't odd enough to Ron, he was dressed all in black. Ron suspected his clothes had been dyed that way. He doubted that the tattered suede jacket, sweater knitted by Ron's mother, and fake Dragon skin overalls had always been black.

Anyway, when Ron knocked on the door to his hut, it had flown open and Hagrid had enveloped him into a backbreaking hug. 'Good to see yeh!' he had roared. There was no Fang greeting Ron at the door. The old dog had long since passed. Instead, Fang's son, Reggy, a puppy that looked similar to its predesor, except it was brown, barked at him happily.

Hagrid had laid a werewolf skin mat on the floor for Ron to sleep on, along with some musty blankets and a pillow that smelled like dog pee. He had then had sat Ron down in a chair and boiled up a pot of tea.

The two of them sipped on it in silence for a few minutes until Hagrid spoke. 'Yeh look diff'rent,' He said. 'Yeh look well dressed. Ain't wearin' one o' them damn sweaters yeh used to wear all the time. Got a real nice tan an' a bit of a go-tee, I see. Looks good on yeh.'

Ron stroked it and grinned. 'There was a Danish bird I used to fool around with back in Greenland. She fancied go-tees. You look different too.'

Hagrid plucked his black sweater. 'I been in mournin' ever since Olympia was killed.' He took a huge gulp of whiskey, then added, 'and Dumbledore'

'I've mostly been in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for the past decade or so. Gotten myself a decent position in their ministry,' Ron told him. 'I'm almost head of the department of Magical Law Enforcement. Sometimes I go hiking in the mountains and fly around the peaks with my broomstick. People there are quite nice once you get to know them. Nice place to live, as long as you distance yourself from the muggle government.'

'Ridden any magic carpets?' Hagrid asked.

'Yeah' Ron said. 'I don't know why they're banned here. They're actually quite comfortable.'

Hagrid and Ron were shifted into uncomfortable silence until a large Barn Owl swooped into the window of the hut and landed in front of Hagrid. It stuck out its leg, where a large, square tin of shepherd's pie was tied. Hagrid stroked the owl's head, and it flew over to an oak perch near his huge bed. 'Tha' owl's bin livin' around here fer' a while. Ever since Cerasi rescued 'em from the forest. Had a bad run in with a troll I'm guessing. Anyway, she named 'em Trojan, after the condoms but also the Roman Emperor she says, and he comes round here fer grub. Always stealin' bacon in the morning. He goes out to yeh're mum's house ev'ry Wednesday and he comes back with steak and Kidney Pie. Nice Owl, even if he's annoyin''

Ron leaned forward to pear at the owl. 'Did you say Cerasi…_ rescued _that owl?'

'Mmm, why?'

'It just… doesn't sound like something she would do'

'What? Yeh' mean yeh've met her already?'

'Of course' Ron said.

Hagrid hesitated, and then said, 'I know she's a bit… er… rough around the edges, and…'

'Cynical?' Ron asked.

'Yes'

'Blunt?'

'Yes'

'Rude?'

'Yes'

'Narrow?'

'_Yes!_ She's all o' them things. I know she's a bit… hard to reach. But she's got a good heart Ron. Very _very_ deep down. Jes' give her some time.'

Ron shook his head. 'She isn't what I thought she would be,' he said.

Hagrid was silent, allowing him to continue. 'She isn't like Harry at all. Or… Hermione. She looks like Hermione. She has Harry's eyes, but she's not like them at all.'

'What'd yeh expect her ter be like?'

'I dunno, a bossy bookworm, a heroic basketcase maybe. She's not either of those things though. She's just… a punk.'

Hagrid laughed. 'I wouldn't tell her that.'

'Do I look stupid?'

'Yes'

Ron responded to this with a cold glare. Hagrid didn't mind. He pulled his nightcap on and took off his overalls, then crawled into his enormous bed and said, 'She stays with Ginny over the Christmas Holidays.'

'Ah,' Ron said bitterly. He was still sitting at the table, and was now staring into his empty teacup at the leaves in the bottom, lost in memories. 'Over at Privet Drive I suppose? With Ginny's porky husband?'

'He's gotten a lot better since he married her,' Hagrid said sternly.

'Yes, but what would poor Harry say?'

Hagrid chose to ignore this question. He simply gave Ron a concerned look before saying, 'An' over the summer she stays with her grandmother.'

'You mean Mrs. Granger?'

'Aye. Her two second cousins live there too.'

'Cerasi has second cousins?'

'Aye. They're the only family she's got left. All the rest o' the Grangers were killed. Anyway, her cousins are nice girls, both her age. She's close to 'em. One o' them, name's Stephanie Beachwood, actually she's Cerasi's second cousin twice removed, she goes to school here with Cerasi. She's in Hufflepuff. Her real second cousin is a muggle, named Jenny Phinwic, lives with Mrs. Granger an' goes to a private all-girls school called Stalag 14. She writes Cerasi letters all o' the time.'

They didn't talk much the rest of the night. Ron finished his tea and lay on the mat on Hagrid's floor. The last thing Hagrid said before he fell asleep was, 'I'm glad yeh're back Ron.'

_He came out of nowhere from the darkness. She was scared at first, but he took her hand and she wasn't afraid. _

_She thought she was safe with him._

_But now there was no way to escape. _


End file.
